Indiana Beyond Coal Campaign
Indiana stands at an energy crossroads where we can choose to invest in clean, renewable energy; energy efficiency and conservation; and energy storage; or, we can choose yesterday's dirty energy -- coal. Our campaign is uniting people from across the state.
Orientation is the first stop for all new volunteers whether you want to join our bi-monthly planning team meetings, or discover volunteer opportunities that you can do from home or in the community on a regular, or as-needed basis.
We are making progress, and have secured retirement plans for several of the nation’s largest polluters. Indiana is home to five of the nation’s top 22 super polluters, four super polluters located within 30 miles of Evansville, IN. This hotspot of toxic and greenhouse gas pollution has been termed “the sacrifice zone.” Below are highlights from recent victories:
Moving Evansville Beyond Coal
In 2019, a gas plant was denied in Indiana. That was cause for new hope. The unprecedented decision by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to deny Southwest Indiana utility Vectren’s request to build an 850 MW gas plant was the result of years of work and led to a new plan that would move Vectren from 78 percent coal capacity in 2020 to 12 percent coal capacity by 2025. As the local Ohio River Valley Beyond Coal team grew in members and leadership, so too did new organizations form or join community-led efforts to push Vectren towards investing in renewable energy, such as the local Indivisible chapter, which has been a staunch supporter of these efforts, and Tri-State Creation Care, which independently organized an Earth Day pilgrimage to Vectren.
Moving Northern Indiana Beyond Coal
Volunteers and community partners including Fort Wayne’s NAACP engaged Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) for years in moving away from coal to clean energy. While I&M supplies electricity to communities in Northern IN, the utilities’ power is generated at Rockport coal plant. In 2019, I&M finally announced the retirement of the massive Rockport super polluter coal plant. In 2021, Indiana Michigan Power will be planning for the future -- and communities want to see a transition to 100% renewable energy.
Moving Indianapolis Beyond Coal
Our community came together to ensure that Indianapolis Power and Light (IPL) stopped burning coal at its Harding Street coal plant on Indianapolis’ southside. In 2019, Indianapolis Power and Light announced the retirement of half of the Petersburg super polluter coal plant. Marion County residents are putting pressure on IPL to get us to 100% renewable energy. Learn more about our efforts in Indianapolis.
Moving Northwest Indiana Beyond Coal
In 2018, after a hard-fought organizing effort by Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign and community partners, NIPSCO announced the decommissioning of all of their coal fleet by 2028 and all new investments in 100% renewable energy, becoming the first utility in the state to make this decision. Moving forward, communities have been organizing to address ongoing environmental justice issues and are looking to the future to realize a just and equitable transition to renewable energy in the Northwest Indiana Region through the organization Just Transition NWI.
Contact Us
For more information about our campaign please contact Megan Anderson (megan.anderson@sierraclub.org), Ashley Williams (ashley.williams@sierraclub.org), and Matthew Skuya-Boss (matt.skuya.boss@sierraclub.org). For Press Inquiries please contact Melissa Williams (melissa.williams@sierraclub.org), Lead Press Secretary.
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